2
1 Ngakho-ke, lahlani ububi bonke lenkohliso yonke, lokuzenzisa, lomona, kanye lesinyeyo senhlobo zonke. 2 Njengabantwana abasanda kuzalwa, funani uchago lwakomoya oluhlambukileyo, ukuze likhuliswe yilo ekusindisweni kwenu, 3 njengoba selibonile ukuthi iNkosi ilungile.
ILitshe Eliphilayo Kanye Labantu Abakhethiweyo
4 Lapho lisiza kuye, iLitshe eliphilayo, elalahlwa ngabantu, kodwa elakhethwa nguNkulunkulu njalo liligugu kuye, 5 lani futhi, njengamatshe aphilayo lakhiwa laba yindlu yakomoya ukuba libe ngabaphristi abangcwele, linikela imihlatshelo yakomoya eyamukelekayo kuNkulunkulu ngoJesu Khristu. 6 Ngoba emibhalweni kuthiwa:
“Khangelani, ngibeka ilitshe eZiyoni,
ilitshe lekhoneni elikhethiweyo eliligugu,
njalo lowo okholwa kuye
akayikuyangiswa.”*
7 Kini lina abakholwayo, ilitshe leli liligugu. Kodwa kulabo abangakholwayo,
“Ilitshe elalahlwa ngabakhi
seliyilona ilitshe lekhoneni,”†
8 njalo,
“Ilitshe elikhubekisa abantu
ledwala elibenza bawe.”‡
Bayakhubeka ngoba badelela ilizwi okuyikho njalo abakumiselweyo.
9 Kodwa lina lingabantu abakhethiweyo, ubuphristi bobukhosi, isizwe esingcwele, abantu abangabakaNkulunkulu, ukuba limemezele indumiso yakhe yena owalibiza lisemnyameni ukuba lize ekukhanyeni kwakhe okumangalisayo. 10 Lake langabi ngabantu, kodwa khathesi selingabantu bakaNkulunkulu; lake laswela isihawu; kodwa khathesi selithole isihawu.
Ukuphila Ngokulunga Emphakathini Ongakholwayo
11 Bangane abathandekayo, ngiyalincenga, njengabezizweni lezihambi emhlabeni ukuba lizile izinkanuko zesono ezilwa lemiphefumulo yenu. 12 Philani impilo elungileyo phakathi kwabangakholwayo ukuze kuthi lanxa besithi lenza okubi, babone izenzo zenu ezilungileyo badumise uNkulunkulu mhla esiza kithi.
Ukuzehlisa Kubabusi Lasemakhosini
13 Zehliseni ngenxa yeNkosi emibusweni yonke ebekwe phakathi kwabantu: loba enkosini, njengamandla amakhulu, 14 loba kubabusi abathunywe yiyo ukuba bajezise labo abenza okubi kanye lokubonga labo abenza okulungileyo. 15 Ngoba kuyintando kaNkulunkulu ukuthi ngokwenza okulungileyo lizaqeda inkulumo yokungazi yabantu abayiziwula. 16 Philani njengabantu abakhululekileyo, kodwa lingasebenzisi inkululeko yenu njengezaba lokufihla ububi; philani njengezinceku zikaNkulunkulu. 17 Tshengisani inhlonipho eqondileyo kwabanye. Thandani izimuli zabazalwane, lihloniphe umuntu wonke, mesabeni uNkulunkulu, lihloniphe umbusi.
18 Zigqili, zehliseni emakhosini enu ngenhlonipho yonke, hatshi kuphela kulawo alungileyo lalozwelo, kodwa lakulawo alolaka. 19 Ngoba kuyabongeka nxa umuntu eqinisela ebuhlungwini bokuhlupheka okungafanelanga ngoba uyazi ngoNkulunkulu. 20 Kodwa kuba ludumo njani kini nxa litshayelwa ukwenza okungalunganga njalo likubekezelela? Kodwa nxa lihlukuluzelwa ukwenza okuhle njalo likubekezelela, lokhu kuyancomeka phambi kukaNkulunkulu. 21 Labizelwa lokhu, ngoba uKhristu walihluphekela, walitshiyela isibonelo ukuba lilandele ezinyathelweni zakhe.
22 “Yena kenzanga sono,
njalo akukho nkohliso eyatholakala emlonyeni wakhe.”§
23 Kwathi bemthethisa, yena kaphindiselanga; lapho ehlupheka, kazange asonge. Kodwa wathembeka kulowo owahlulela ngokulunga. 24 “Yena ngokwakhe wathwala izono zethu”* emzimbeni wakhe esiphambanweni ukuze siphephe ezonweni njalo siphilele ukulunga; “lisilisiwe ngamanxeba akhe.”† 25 Ngoba “lina lalinjengezimvu ezilahlekileyo,”‡ kodwa khathesi selibuyele kuMalusi loMbonisi wemiphefumulo yenu.
* 2:6 U-Isaya 28.16 † 2:7 AmaHubo 118.22 ‡ 2:8 U-Isaya 8.14 § 2:22 U-Isaya 53.9 * 2:24 U-Isaya 53.5 † 2:24 U-Isaya 53.5 ‡ 2:25 U-Isaya 53.6